Pearl Sizes

• 5mm or Smaller Pearls: Recommended for young girls or very petite women.
• 6mm Pearls: Slightly smaller than average - a great option for petite women.
• 7mm - 8mm Pearls: This is the most standard size. Most pearl strands you've likely seen are about 7-8mm.
• 9mm - 10mm Pearls: Luxury size. Larger than the 'usual' pearl strand, but subtly so. (It is unusual to find Akoya Pearls larger than this).
• 11mm - 12mm Pearls: Noticeably larger than the norm. Typically only found in Freshwater, South Sea or Tahitian Pearls.
• 13mm - 16mm Pearls: A true 'statement' heirloom piece of jewelry. Only found in Freshwater, South Sea or Tahitian Pearls.

Pearl Shapes

Even though pearls are generally thought of as round, they generally come in seven standard shapes: Round, Near-Round, Oval, Button, Drop, Semi-Baroque, and Baroque. These are then divided into three categories: Spherical, Symmetrical, and Baroque.

Spherical, meaning round, are generally the most valuable pearl since it is rare to find a perfectly round pearl. Symmetrical pearls like buttons and drops are still very valuable. The closer the pearls are to being completely symmetric the more valuable they are.

Baroque pearls are any odd shapes. Some pearls that look round or semi-round but have a lump on them are classified as semi-baroque.